When subjects are required to generate material from memory rather than simply read that material, a memorial advantage for the generated material is obtained. This phenomenon is known as the generation effect, and has been viewed as analogical to the so called "discovery" learning technique proposed by Socrates and commonly discussed in educational settings. Theoretical explications of the generation effect have generally fallen into one of two categories. The semantic memory (or relational information) theories assume that the generation effect results from an increase in the amount of semantic or relational processing performed on the generated items relative to the read items. Conversely, the "generation operations" (or item-specific information) theories assume that the generation effect results from an increase in the processing of item-specific information for the generated items. The proposed research will test between these two groups of theories by varying both the amount of relational information available at study and the degree of emphasis on relational information at test. It is argued that the two classes of theories make opposite predictions in these situations. Thus, this research should permit a critical test between the two groups of theories. Additionally, the results may provide insights about the utility of discovery learning in educational settings.